Tropical fish includes fish around the world living in tropical environments including salt water and fresh water species. They are popular fish in aquariums because of their bright colors. Tropical also refers to tropical climate wherein the climate is warm or moist all throughout the year integrated by abundant vegetation.

Aquarium is an enclosed clear-sided container made of high strength plastic or constructed glass for keeping or raising animals and plants for research and observation. The ecosystem of the species is copied on smaller scale controlling environmental factors.

Tropical fish being put in the aquarium should be properly taken care of by regular monitoring of the fish and aquarium conditions by checking the waters for bacteria, parasite or fungi occurrences. There are ways on how to determine if the tropical fish are sick.

- Fish scales inspection. Examine for any discoloration, growths or wounds. Scales that is missing is a fighting indication.

- Observation of the fish respiratory rates. Slower or faster rate than normal is a sign of problem.

- Fish eyes clarity checking. Blood or cloudiness should not be present.

- Observation of the fish abnormal behavior such as unusual swimming pattern or sluggishness.

- Veterinarian consultation for any fish abnormalities being observed.

Aquarium serves as the new habitat of your tropical fish so it should be maintained regularly. The procedures are easy protecting the fish and plants lives.

- Regular checking of the tank to ensure that dying or dead fish is not present.

- Observation of all the fish individually for behavioral patterns familiarization so that it is easier to determine a sick fish in the future.

- Feed your fish with one-day intervals using diet variations.

- Replace the evaporated water on the tank with dechlorinated water.
- Once a week, removed 5 to 10 percent of the tank water replacing it fresh dechlorinated water. Unwanted chemicals in the tank are diluted helping the tanks internal environment similar to tap water.

- Algae scraping from the walls of the tank done once a week.

- Filter pads checking every two weeks cleaning or replacing them if necessary.

- Water testing done every two weeks. Water change is done after one day.

- Ammonia, nitrate, pH levels or nitrite checking done every two weeks.

- Drain off the debris from the gravel done once a month.

Always keep track the chemical contents of your aquarium and schedule maintenance.

This content is provided by Jeremy Low and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info, please visit aquarium.articlekeep.com aquarium.articlekeep.com.

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Tags: aquarium, tap water

One unfortunate aspect of fish keeping is the possibility that your fishes will become ill at some point in time. If you are a responsible fish keeper then you probably worry about this and check them for signs of disease on a regular basis. While this practice is both responsible and wise, you should be far more focused on the prevention of disease than the treatment of disease. With this in mind, I have created a list of the 5 important tips to follow to prevent disease in aquarium fish. I call them “Healthy Fish Tips”.

Healthy Fish Tip #1 - Water changes, water changes, water changes: This is probably the most important of the healthy fish tips. Regular water changes remove contaminants and waste byproducts from the aquarium and replace them with fresh clean water. Typically you should perform water changes on a regular schedule so that all of your water changes add up to about 100% in a month. Some common examples are 25% water change once a week or 15% water changes twice a week.

Healthy Fish Tip #2 - Consistent Temperature: This is another important healthy fish tip. Unlike humans fish cannot regulate body temperature so variations in water temperature are very stressful to a fish. Research the recommended temperature range for your fish and make sure that all of the fish in your tank can live in the same temperature range. After finding out what temperature is acceptable to all of your fish species set your temperature there and try to keep it from changing much. Be especially careful when performing water changes that the water is not too hot or cold when you change it.

Healthy Fish Tip #3 - Don’t use too many chemicals or products: Using pH adjusters or chemicals to clear the water is usually not a very good method to keep healthy fish. Also keep in mind that most medicines are very harmful to the fish because they either stress them directly or kill the biological bacteria in your tank that is keeping it healthy. The only chemicals that go into my tanks are tap water, water conditioner to remove chlorine, charcoal in the filters and aquarium salt (if needed). If you need to adjust the pH of the water, you should use rocks or substrate to raise the pH or wood or plants to lower it. This will stabilize the pH and prevent wild swings in pH.

Health Fish Tip #4 – Use a quarantine tank: If you have an established tank with no real problems and follow all of the healthy fish tips above then the chances of the fish in your tank spontaneously contracting a disease is very little. The quickest way to raise this risk is to introduce new fish to your tank that have come fresh from the fish store. It does not matter how good the fish store has been in the past, the fact of the matter remains that fish stores have a lot of fish coming in and going out so the chances are greatly increase for the risk of disease infection. I always quarantine my fish in a 20 gallon quarantine tank for 3 weeks prior to introduction into an established tank.

Health Fish Tip #5 – Keep aggression under control: If you have an aggressive tank such as an African cichlid tank then there will be aggression and territorial conflict. This is normal and probably healthy for the fish because it is natural. However if you notice a fish that is too aggressive or one that seems to be getting picked on by all of the fish in the tank, then you need to find a way to resolve the problem. Sometimes merely rearranging the tank can change the tank dynamic and perhaps give a “picked on” fish some new hiding spaces. If rearranging the tank does not work, then consider removing the problem fish from the tank and placing it in a different tank or perhaps trading it in to the local fish store. Stressed fish are prone to disease and once a stressed fish becomes diseased it is more likely other healthy fish in the tank will contract the disease from the stressed fish.

The goal of following these healthy fish tips is to avoid having to treat the fish after they become sick. Happy fish keeping!

Article by Keith Pardee

Webmaster of Aquariumlife.net - aquariumlife.net aquariumlife.net

Article originally published at aquariumlife.net/articles/aquarium-care/110.asp aquariumlife.net/articles/aquarium-care/110.asp

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Tags: aquarium, tap water

Have you always wanted an aquarium but are unsure about how to care for it? Maintaining a freshwater aquarium is actually really easy and taking care of fish doesn’t require much work at all. Before you get started though, you need to know what to do to keep your tank healthy.

The first thing you should do is choose what size tank you want. If you are a beginner, I would recommend that you start with a small aquarium, preferably ten gallons or less. This will cut down on the cost considerably and help you decide if you really like taking care of an aquarium. If you don’t have any problems maintaining it and really like it, then you can upgrade to a larger tank later on.

Choose a good spot in your house to place the tank. Make sure that the table you put it on is able to support the weight of the aquarium. Water weighs around eight and a half pounds per gallon, so a ten gallon tank would be at least 85 pounds, not counting everything you put in it and the aquarium itself.

The next thing you need to do is decide what type of equipment you want. You will need a filter. I recommend using an undergravel filter because it’s not very expensive and keeps debris out. Another popular type of filter is a hang-on filter. Either type will work. You should get an air pump too.

You can also get gravel, plants and decorations for your tank. Gravel comes in many colors, such as green, blue, pink and natural colors. If you have a small tank, then get small gravel. For plants, you can use real ones or fake ones. Plastic plants don’t require extra care and come in many varieties. If you want to do real plants, I would wait until you are familiar with taking care of the tank. Decorations for tanks include castles, mushrooms, bubble wands, ships and many other plastic things. Just make sure that whatever you put in your tank doesn’t clutter it up.

When you go to fill up the tank, there are several water options to choose from. You can use distilled water or tap water. If you decide to use tap water, you will need to purchase a product that removes chlorine and use it before adding the water to the tank. Add the water slowly so that everything in your tank doesn’t move around or float to the top.

You must make sure that the temperature of your tank stays around 80 degrees. Get a thermometer and see what the temperature is. If it is not acceptable, you may need to purchase a heater for the tank. Just don’t put the heater by any air bubbles. Another thing you will need is a hood and light for the aquarium. The hood will keep the fish in the tank while providing light at the same time.

The most important maintenance to do on the tank is water changes. Every month you should change about one-third of the water. Use a siphon hose with a suction tube and siphon out about one-third of the water into a bucket. Replace with clean freshwater. Just make sure that the water you replace with is the same temperature as the tank.

A major mistake many people make is adding too many fish. Fish need space! You can get three to four small fish per gallon, or one to two medium fish per gallon, or one large fish per gallon. Make sure that the fish you get can be housed together so that you will not have any fish fighting. When you bring your fish home, float the bag in the tank for about twenty minutes so they will adjust to your tank’s temperature. After that you can put them in the aquarium.

There are many different types of fish foods to choose from but flake foods seem to work the best. Just make sure you don’t overfeed because this can make your tank very dirty. Just feed like twice a day.

This is the basics of starting a freshwater tank. Once you have it going, it’s very easy to maintain as long as you remember to do water changes, feed the fish and make sure the temperature is okay.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to

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Tags: aquarium, tap water

Pets are family members and should be treated as such. The design of your home has a dramatic affect on their health and well-being. When your environment is in harmony with nature, it will have a positive influence. If not, behavior al and health problems will show up in your animals in subtle and not so subtle ways. By applying the environmental science of Vastu Shastra, you can create harmony and balance in your home that will support your pets. Vastu Shastra was written some 7,000-10,000 years ago in India by rishis, or men of great wisdom. Over a period of thousands of years, these wise scholars studied and chronicled the strong influence that the physical environment has on all living things. Through these observations, an exact science was formulated, which established the principles behind some of the world’s most enduring structures.

My wife and I have experienced firsthand the benefits that some simple corrections using Vastu can have on pets. Our dog had a variety of skin and bladder control problems. Our cat was aggressive and territorial, fighting with the dog and bringing into the house anything she could carry. It always surprised us how she could get adult rabbits and baby crows through the cat door, but she managed! Small but effective changes using Vastu, reduced these problems significantly.

According to the science of Vastu Shastra, all five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) have an impact on your pets. Vastu balances the five elements and promotes harmony within the environment. When there is harmony, stress is reduced and animals can find their equilibrium. Due to their size, pets are far more susceptible to the consequences of poor air quality and indoor pollutants than their caretakers. Flooring, decorating materials, mattresses, molds, toxic gases, pesticides and electronic equipment can all degrade the air you and your pet breath, even if you are seemingly unaffected.

These are examples of the dangers lurking in your home, unbeknownst to you. In this situation, what you can’t see can harm both you and your pets. Knowledge is power. Becoming aware of what you can do to protect your pets is the best preventative measure there is. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of reading all labels carefully to determine the safety of any materials that you use in your home.

Another factor that we’ve seen affect pets as well as humans is Geopathic Stress. This occurs when radiation follows lines of underground utilities and streams. Electrical wiring in the home can also disrupt the balance of the five elements if improperly placed. Such conditions have been scientifically proven to influence the health and disposition of your pets. Indoor environmental testing for geopathic stress can build your peace of mind and protect you and your pets.

There are several things you can do yourself to make changes in your environment for positive results. Here are some actions you can take today that will make a world of difference:

Fresh air is extremely important for pets. Many houses are so tightly built that household pollutants build up in the interior air if windows are not open. Having a window open, even a quarter of an inch, will help eliminate toxins that can accumulate and circulate in the air. Also, be aware that pets like the room temperature a little cooler than we do. Too much heat (fire) can make them lethargic and shorten their life span. Changing their water twice a day is also essential since water absorbs many of the air born toxins. Make sure to give them purified water rather than tap water. Tap water can contain bacteria and chemicals that aggravate a variety of sensitivities.

These are just a few steps that you can take to create proactive support for your pets. According to Vastu Shastra, all five elements need to be considered and balanced properly to experience the full advantages of Vastu. We suggest having your home analyzed by a qualified Vastu professional. Because they are sensitive by nature, you will be delighted by how quickly pets respond to an environment that has been balanced in harmony with Nature using the science of Vastu Shastra.

About The Author

Michael and Robin Mastro’s synergistic approach successfully assists people in living in peace and harmony with themselves and others, and in creating balanced lives filled with unlimited possibilities. Visit us at VastuCreations.com” target=”_new www.VastuCreations.com

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Tags: tap water

Without a doubt one of the most annoying issues for owners is a dog that is a chronic barker. These dogs seem to bark at anything and everything and do not stop barking even when the threat or event is over. While chronic or excessive barking is often associated with small dogs all sizes and breeds of dogs may become chronic barkers under the right set of conditions.

What makes a dog bark?

Initially puppies and dogs bark to attract attention, notify owners of a stranger or unusual event, or to defend themselves and their property. Most owners appreciate a dog that barks to notify them when a stranger approaches or there is a knock at the door. The problems start to happen when the dog does not disengage from the barking activity, even if corrected. Some chronic barkers will not stop even if removed from the room and will continue to bark even if placed outside.

Usually dogs that have a problem with barking started this behavior because they were bored or received attention for barking. Remember that to a dog all attention is good, even if it is negative. Therefore when a dog is bored, lacks attention and then barks and gets yelled at, he or she quickly learns that barking gets human attention, which is just what he or she wants. Once this pattern has been established it is more difficult to correct than catching it early and stopping it as it develops.

Working With A Puppy or Dog

Puppies are often very cute when they bark and owners do little to correct the barking. Once they become a bit older the problem becomes more annoying, but by then the behavior is established. If you want to have a watchdog consider using the following method:

When the stranger comes to the house or yard and the puppy or dog barks, immediately praise the puppy. After one or two barks say “Enough” or “Stop” and then immediately give them a toy or chew item to distract them from barking. As soon as they take the toy praise them for stopping and provide attention for quiet behavior.

If the puppy or dog continues to bark and doesn’t take a toy consider giving them a food treat. Again praise as soon as the dog is quiet after you have given the verbal command.

Spend time playing with the puppy and provide attention when they are quiet.

Never yell at the puppy or hit the dog to make it stop barking. This will only raise the puppies anxiety level and lead to more barking or even more aggressive behaviors such as biting or running away.

A squirt bottle filled with tap water can also be used to stop the puppy from barking, although this should only be used if other methods fail. Again, the word “Enough” or “Stop” should be used prior to the water bottle, and the puppy should immediately be praised when he or she sits or stands quietly beside you.

For dogs or puppies that bark chronically when the owner is away consider providing more toys and activities for the dog. In addition take them for a long walk or play games with them to provide more stimulation before you leave them alone. Try to make the times away from home as short as possible and praise the dog when you get home and all is quiet.

Be as consistent as possible if you are trying to train or correct a barking dog. Always respond the same way to barking. Dogs become very confused if one day they are allowed to bark and other days they given negative attention for barking. Always pay attention to the dog when it is quiet or behaving appropriately and spend extra time exercising and playing with the dog or puppy to ensure that they will be tired and relaxed when you are away from home.

Find hundreds more articles like this at ohmydogsupplies.com www.ohmydogsupplies.com, where you can also find ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/dog-beds/ unique dog beds, dog supplies, and pet furniture that you’ll never find at your local pet store. In fact, if you later find your order being sold at your local Petco, we’ll refund your purchase plus an extra $20!

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Tags: dog beds, squirt, tap water